People will say we're in love
by Bookjunk
Summary: After a shootout Danny finds out Steve is injured. They both react a little strangely to this.
1. I don't need no doctor

**Chapter 1: I don't need no doctor**

'I was just saying…' Steve whispered, but Danny interrupted him with a weary sigh.

'You're always just saying things. It's exhausting. You are exhausting,' he whispered back. His back was pressed against a wooden crate and he was trying to look around another crate at the bad guys with guns. Steve, meanwhile, was just itching to get in there, Danny could see, which exasperated him to no end. Sweat was running down his back – he hated Hawaii and its ridiculous heat – and Steve was taking the safety off his gun.

'Are you now accusing me of talking too much? You; who can't shut up for five minutes to save his life?' Steve whispered and grinned like a maniac. Probably because he was a maniac. Certifiably insane.

'Because I think it's nice to at least talk things over before you go off half-cocked and get me killed.'

At that, Steve frowned and seemed to try to remember a time when he either jumped into a dangerous situation without a plan or a time when he almost got Danny killed. Both of those Danny could provide numerous examples of, but preferably not right now. However, Steve didn't appear to be able to dredge up even one instance of near death occurring.

'I haven't gotten you killed,' he stated. Danny fisted the back of Steve's shirt in his fingers to make sure Steve didn't suddenly take off.

'Yet. That's just your insane luck. And before you ask, your luck is insane because you are insane,' Danny hissed and Steve looked at him with his patented what-the-fuck-are-you-doing look. Come to think of it, that was usually Danny's look, but it was nice to invoke the same incredulity in Steve for once.

'As I was just saying, there are only five of them, so...' Steve continued, seemingly nonplussed at what could definitely be construed as a homoerotic moment with the sweat and the proximity of their bodies and Danny's hand tangled up in Steve's shirt. Apart from the extreme irritation on Danny's side, of course.

'Only five? _Only_ five? Need I remind you that there are only two of us? That means there's three more of them, which means we're outnumbered. Can't we wait for backup just once? That's a word you know, right? Backup? You don't have to do everything alone,' he protested. In the midst of his annoyed gesticulation, he had stupidly released Steve's shirt.

'I'm not alone. I've got you,' Steve said. Before Danny could decide whether he had said it smugly or sincerely, he was gone. Fuck, Danny thought. Outwitted by Steve fucking McGarrett. Inwardly, he fired a dozen other curses as he stepped from behind the relative protection offered by the crates.

The next few minutes were a haze of gunshots and shouts and bullets flying and somehow miraculously none of those bullets hitting him. It wasn't until back up had finally arrived and every single one of the criminals – all regrettably dead – had been taken away in ambulances, that Danny deigned to look at Steve. His partner shrugged and smirked, but his arrogance seemed somewhat deflated.

Out of habit, Danny walked over to the passenger side of the car only to find Steve already there. Well, it was _his_ car, so he shouldn't be surprised that Steve was allowing him to drive it for a change, except he was surprised. Because, you know, Steve had serious control issues. Maybe this was Steve's idea of an apology for just almost getting him killed for the umpteenth time since Danny had met him. Danny was not mollified.

He watched as Steve struggled to get into the car. Struggled was exactly the right word, because Steve was doing some sort of contortionist act and it would have been funny as hell if Danny hadn't been so pissed off. So, Danny waited and didn't comment. He had promised Steve that they'd watch the game together tonight and he would do just that. Even if it meant not talking to Steve the entire evening.

They didn't speak the whole ride. Steve was breathing shallowly and evenly and that was weird. Yet, Danny was used to Steve's weirdness and had resolved not to speak until his partner had apologised in actual words, – so, never basically – thus, again he kept his mouth shut.

It wasn't until they had arrived at Steve's place and Danny was walking to the house and he noticed that Steve was still sitting in the car, that his resolve crumbled and genuine annoyance took over. Agitated, he walked back to the car and opened the passenger door.

'What's this? What are you doing?' he asked. Steve kind of grimaced, lifted his right leg and put it down. There was embarrassment in his smile as he looked up at Danny. Curiously, Danny discovered that he liked it. An embarrassed Steve; that wasn't likely to happen often.

'You may need to help me out,' Steve explained.

'Why?' Danny patiently asked. Knowing Steve, he had probably broken his foot or had steadily been bleeding from a bullet wound ever since the shootout. To stupid or proud or a combination of those two to say anything.

'Because I got shot and I think the impact broke some ribs.'

Danny waited for the punch line. Except Steve wasn't much of a jokester, really. Danny suspected they forgot to include a sense of humour when they programmed him. Still, he waited.

'You're serious?' he eventually asked, when no punch line seemed forthcoming. His partner nodded tightly and suddenly Danny saw things that he should have noticed while he was busy being angry. How Steve's body was rigid, as if he was keeping himself still, because it hurt to move. How he was angled to the right side, presumably because he had been shot in the left side of his stomach. Well, not _in_, because he was wearing a bulletproof vest, which was another thing.

After the shooting, everyone had handed in their bulletproof vests, because those things cost a shitload of money and the department didn't want them to go missing. Steve, however, was still wearing a vest.

'It's my own vest,' Steve answered his unspoken question. This somehow didn't surprise Danny, simply because Steve was one of those people who'd have his own supply of grenades and machine guns and God knows what else. Kevlar vests were probably one of the most innocuous items in his secret arsenal.

Without commenting, because there wasn't a lot to say, except the obvious, which was that Steve was a bona fide idiot, Danny helped him out of the car. The two men walked up to the house with Danny supporting Steve despite Steve's protests. Danny slowly eased Steve into a chair in the living room, before digging his cell out of his pocket.

'Don't call the hospital. Just turn on the TV,' Steve demanded and Danny glanced at him. For some reason he was thinking again that Steve was joking, which naturally he wasn't. Trying to stay calm and reminding himself that, no matter how robot-like Steve was, he must be in pain, Danny rubbed his temples. He took a deep breath and placed his hands on his hips.

'So, correct me if I'm wrong: you neglected to tell me that you got shot, because you didn't want to miss the game?'

'Yes,' Steve confirmed. His eyes roved around the room, in search of the remote, Danny suspected. The sheer magnitude of his partner's insanity was only now starting to become clear to Danny.

'Oh, of course. That's not insane at all or anything,' he scoffed and threw his hands up in exasperation. No one else could be this blasé about broken ribs due to _getting __shot_. He got it; Steve was tough. Ex-army and everything. But this was simply too much.

'They can't do anything about broken ribs at the hospital,' Steve stated, as if that was the end of things.

'You're a doctor now too? What if you've got a punctured lung or something?' Danny pointed out. Steve looked down at his chest and looked up at Danny with a sort of smug satisfaction on his face.

'I think I would have noticed that.'

'You think...' Danny began, but he cut himself off, knowing it was useless.

'Why am I trying to reason with you? Whatever species of appliance you are, it doesn't respond to reason.'

Solemnly, Steve nodded, but when Danny made no move to turn on the TV he sighed and appeared to succumb in his own particular way. It was the equivalent of throwing a dog a bone.

'Danny, I'm fine. We'll look at the damage during half time. Now stop whining and let me watch the game.'

Tired of trying to understand his partner, Danny strolled over to the TV and turned it on. The remote was on top of it and he switched to the right channel as he sagged into another chair. Instead of watching the screen, Steve was looking at him as if he was going to explode. Danny checked if there were grenades hidden in the chair, but there were none. He knew Steve expected him to argue and berate him some more, but he was done. For now.

Danny got the beers, since Steve couldn't get out of his chair without help and without wanting to Danny was starting to enjoy himself. Normally, when he watched a game it would be a pathetic affair. Watching it alone, his cheer was forced and watching it with other people his outbursts and diatribes on the faults of certain players were considered grating. With Steve, he could rant all he wanted at the players and the referee and Steve remained unfazed.

In fact, Steve seemed amused that for once the rants were not directed at him. During half time, Danny not so gently assisted Steve with getting out of his shirt. There was a small, flat bullet embedded in the material on the left side of the vest and when the vest was off the contusion underneath was revealed. A sharp intake of breath on Danny's side and stoical silence from Steve accompanied the first look at the damage.

A dark and enormous bruise had already formed and it covered the left side of Steve's abdomen. At the sight of it, Danny felt anger swirling inside of him. Aside from repeating that the hospital couldn't do anything about broken ribs, Steve wasn't much help, so Danny did the only thing he could think of and took a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer. Steve accepted it and carefully pressed it to his stomach.

'Did I or did I not say that we were outnumbered?' Danny gritted out through clenched teeth. His dentist had commented on the deteriorating state of his molars, asking if he perhaps grinded them in his sleep. Danny had neglected to inform the man about his infuriating partner. Volunteer that kind of information and before you know it you're wearing a retainer on the job.

'Yes, you did,' Steve calmly admitted. This laidback attitude irked Danny even more.

'And did you listen? No, because you never listen. You hear what I'm saying, but you never take my objections into account. We're not partners. Partners listen to each other. You're my boss and I'm your subordinate; let's stop pretending it's anything different.'

They stared at each other. Steve confused and Danny trying to catch his breath. He hadn't realised how much this had been bothering him and he didn't want to know what had triggered it, but here it was.

'I hardly ever listen to you. What's brought this on?' Steve asked. He was still clamping the bag of peas to his abdomen and it almost completely covered the contusion. Was that it? Steve running out of luck and getting shot and being a fucking idiot about it?

'It's been building up for a while,' Danny muttered. He was looking at the floor, because he couldn't look at Steve. He was afraid that if he looked Steve in the eye, Steve would know what the rant was really about. Which, on second thought, would not be so bad, because then Steve could explain it to him, because Danny sure as shit didn't understand it. Except he did. Damn.

'I'm sorry,' Steve offered. His voice was low and hoarse. That might be a symptom of his broken ribs, but contrary to Steve, Danny wasn't a doctor and he merely noted the change.

'You should be,' he huffed. He was going for indignation, but instead he sounded resigned. Suddenly, two light brown shoes appeared in his line of sight and as he looked up he saw that Steve was standing very close. Shirtless and very close. With ex-army – no, _Navy_ – muscles and everything.

'No, not for that. For this. I'm sorry, but I have to...'

That was it. Steve had to. That was the end of the sentence and it also wasn't, because apparently what Steve had to do was kiss him. Danny was pretty surprised by this unexpected display of affection. Unfortunately, this only accounted for the first three seconds or so that he didn't step back or push Steve away.

After that it was anyone's guess why he let his partner kiss him. Steve didn't know why he didn't protest. Because that was the very least you did as a firmly heterosexual man when another man kissed you. And having another man kiss you and discovering you enjoy it was definitely not heterosexual.

Steve's lips brushed against his, hungrily and desperate. Yet, Danny felt that Steve was restraining himself, while he nibbled on Danny's lower lip. Steve fucking McGarrett was nibbling on his lip. Danny considered that he was the one who was going insane, because why else would they be kissing? Yes, _they_ were kissing. It had long since ceased to be a one man effort.

The sound of the TV in the background made everything worse. It was so normal, while what they were doing was crazy. Steve pressed against him and he could feel the coldness from his partner's abdomen radiating through his clothes. Their mouths moved as one, tasting of beer and suddenly Danny knew what was wrong. They were drunk. They were definitely drunk.

On three beers each, which had never before led to making out with another man, but hey, it was something. Steve's breathing remains remarkably steady throughout, which Danny only later realised was because of the broken ribs, but which at the time made him insecure. His own breathing was ragged and fast as Steve's tongue explored his mouth. He kept flashing back to kissing all sort of girls and at the end of the montage; Rachel.

Now every time he had a near death experience, which thanks to Steve was on a daily basis, he would have to end that reel with Steve. Kissing Steve. Kissing his male partner who drove him crazy, who had stubble and surprisingly soft lips and smooth muscles and seriously suicidal tendencies. That brought Danny back to his senses and caused him to break off their kiss.

'I'm sorry,' they both said in barely more than a whisper and Danny walked out of the house without looking back.

(***)

Story title is a song from the musical Oklahoma! (which was covered by Ray Charles) and chapter titles are song titles from Ray Charles.


	2. The danger zone

**Chapter ****2:** **The ****danger ****zone**

Danny had never been the sort of man afraid to comment on the attractiveness of other men. When he was with Rachel, she'd try to tease him in restaurants and movie theatres by ogling other men and asking Danny whether he thought they were handsome. Without embarrassment he would say they looked 'fine,' or 'handsome' or 'I can understand what a woman would see in him.' So, when he had started working with Steve he had allowed himself to briefly imagine what Rachel would have said about Steve. She would probably have made that sexy, catlike rawr noise, because Steve was very attractive. Danny could see that.

Now, however, he had to consider that he perhaps didn't only see it, but also felt it. He had to face that he might be attracted to Steve. Because, let's take Chin as an example, Danny thought. Chin was talking to Lori, while Danny was sort of hiding out in Steve's office. Through the blinds Danny could see them talking and occasionally smiling.

There was a certain appeal to Chin. He wasn't as conventionally handsome as Steve, but still Danny could see why women would be attracted to Chin. However, if Chin planted a kiss on him, no matter how many beers Danny had downed, he would take a huge step back and exclaim 'Whoa! What the hell are you doing?' So, why didn't he do that with Steve?

'Where's Steve?' Chin asked, entering the office and taking a seat. Raking his hand through his hair, Danny sighed and wondered how he was going to explain this. He decided to go with the truth.

'He broke some ribs, so I don't think he's coming in,' Danny answered. He was instantly annoyed by his own casual remark, as if breaking your ribs wasn't a serious injury. Honestly, he had no idea what Steve intended to do, but since it was half past nine and Steve was never late he was going to go with not coming. Steve sure as hell wasn't going to catch criminals in the condition he was in. Though a nagging voice at the back of his head kept reminding him that there were some things that Steve was still pretty good at. Like _kissing_.

He shook his head to get rid of the thought. This earned him a weird look from Chin and it didn't help anyway. Well, why stop now, Danny thought. The whole night he had been replaying the kiss in his mind and it had prevented him from sleeping, so why not also let it fuck up his work?

'Danny?' Chin said. Danny tried to snap to attention and vaguely focused on his colleague.

'Great game last night, huh?'

For a second there, Danny heard 'Great kiss last night, huh?' and he wasn't entirely sure how to react to that. Fortunately, his brain caught up in time and he merely mumbled in agreement. Again Chin frowned and looked at him funny.

'You won the bet,' Chin asserted.

'Did I?' Danny asked. His eyes were roving around the room, while he fiddled with his tie.

'I thought you were supposed to watch the game with Steve. Did something happen?'

Earnestly, Chin was scrutinising him and Danny fought the urge to confide in him. _Yes, __we __ended __up __making __out __and __then __I __quickly __left. _Picturing Chin's face if he heard that, Danny snorted. He knew he was freaking out Chin, but he really couldn't help it. Everything was muddled and strange.

'No. Let's get to work,' he eventually answered, trying to forget the sensation of his partner's stubble grazing his skin, which proved especially hard to do.

(***)

For a week, during Steve's sick leave, Danny partnered with Lori. She was like the female Steve in many ways. Emotionally stunted, too willing to dive into dangerous situations and a maker of all sorts of hilarious faces. Yet, Danny didn't name her facial expressions as he did with Steve. Also, Lori's reckless and clueless behaviour wasn't nearly as annoying as Steve's was.

This might be because Danny cared more about Steve's welfare. Not cared in any gay sense, Danny argued with himself, but cared in an I-happen-to-know-this-guy-longer sense. Lori was simply a poor substitute.

'You miss him,' Lori said. It wasn't a question; it was a firm statement and Danny knew who she was talking about. Still, he felt he had to pretend he wasn't thinking about Steve all the fucking time, so he nonchalantly glanced sideways at Lori.

'Who?' he asked, before directing his attention to the traffic again. In a way, it was nice to finally be allowed to drive his own car, but the truth was that he would much prefer to have Steve sit next to him. In fact, Steve could drive for all he cared. Hell, in the space of one week Danny had come to think that he would rather be gagged and bound in the trunk of his car if it meant that Steve would pop open the trunk and display one of his infamous exasperated faces.

He did miss Steve. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that shit. Not having Steve around had really made him appreciate the guy. A sigh escaped Danny and Lori rolled her eyes at him.

'Your partner,' she added. Danny suspected that she had to bite her tongue to keep from saying something else. Like 'your lover' or 'your husband' or something equally sarcastic about whatever chemistry Lori had from the beginning perceived between Steve and him.

Clearly, she knew that he knew who she had meant and she also knew that he was knee deep in denial, so he didn't dignify her question with answer. With an amused smile, she shrugged off the subject and started to pepper him with psychological observations about their case. Danny tried to listen and not let his thoughts drift towards Steve again, which proved problematic.

Tonight he was going over to see him. To finally get it over with. Steve would ignore what had happened or laugh it off as a beer and pain induced mistake. There was a tiny chance; of course, that Steve would not consider it a mistake, but Danny tried to push that scenario to the back of his mind. He didn't know what frightened him more: the possibility that Steve would minimise the importance of the kiss or the possibility that it had actually meant something to Steve.

(***)

That night.

Knocking on Steve's front door, he nervously adjusted his tie. It was seasonably hot and for the first time ever he felt ridiculous with his tie. When Steve opened the door, a welcome blast of cool air enveloped Danny. They stood blinking at each other for a couple of seconds, until Steve stepped aside to let him inside. Steve moved a little stiffly, but he patted his abdomen with a smirk to demonstrate that the pain was minimal.

'So...' Steve said, waiting for Danny to explain why he had come. Suddenly, the usual New Jersey confidence of Danny was gone and he tried to prevent himself from fidgeting by thrusting his hands into his trouser pockets.

'I've come to collect the money I won,' he announced. It took Steve a few seconds to realise that he was talking about their football bet from a week ago. It made them both think about the game that they, or Danny at least, had only seen the first half of. It made Danny think about Steve's hands pulling him closer and Steve's breath in his mouth.

'Yeah, I guess it was a long shot,' Steve lamented and Danny nodded. There was something wistful and longing in Steve's eyes as he stared at him that made Danny truly uncomfortable. Steve peeled five ten-dollar bills out of wallet and handed them to Danny. Their hands touched and lingered for a bit longer than was necessary. Afterwards they avoided each other's gaze.

Out of nowhere, Danny was thinking about the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' and whether Steve was gay. He had been so busy convincing himself that the kiss obviously didn't mean anything to him and he obviously wasn't gay that he had almost forgotten about what their kiss might have indicated about Steve's sexual orientation. And he'd rather not think about Steve's sexual orientation, but now that he had it on his mind it was difficult to think about something else. Especially since the only other thing he could think about lately was their kiss.

'So, don't ask, don't tell,' Danny began. Steve looked confused and Danny realised that Steve thought he was talking about the kiss.

'No, I mean, its repeal. That's good, right? For the army and for, you know, gay people?'

At the end of this little speech, Danny was cringing and Steve's eyes twinkled with delight.

'Yes,' Steve said, leaving Danny to flounder in the silence that followed. He knew he was making a horrible mess of this, but nonetheless he was forging ahead.

'Did you know any gay guys in the army?' he asked, in a failing attempt at indifference. Steve was grinning widely by now. Damn him, Danny thought.

'The navy. And I _was_ the gay guy, Danny.'

Danny stared at Steve, managing to close his mouth, so as not to stare at him in slack jawed bewilderment. There were no signs that his partner was messing with him, though Steve still seemed to regard their conversation as a source of endless amusement.

'Say what?' Danny blurted out.

'Okay, bisexual; if you want to split hairs,' Steve admitted and, when Danny remained silent, he added, 'But you knew that.'

Regaining his senses and removing his hands from his pockets in order to illustrate everything he needed to say better, Danny shook his head.

'No, I didn't. How was I supposed to know? Aside from explaining your harebrained schemes seconds before we charge in, you hardly ever talk.'

The kiss was an indication, though. But they weren't talking about that. Awkwardly rubbing his neck, Steve suddenly appeared worried. Danny had no idea why Steve was picking now to get embarrassed, since he had just seconds ago gleefully revealed his sexual orientation. Surely, the time for uneasiness had come and gone.

'Is this... Will this be a problem?' Steve asked, hesitantly. Danny felt himself becoming angry. He marched up to his partner, resisting the urge to punctuate every word by wagging his finger in Steve's face.

'You know you're ridiculous, right? You are a ridiculous person. As if, after trying to get me killed numerous times and always ignoring my justified rants, I'm going to have a problem with this. The rest of you is a problem, not your sexuality. You are just... ridiculous,' he concluded, having run out of steam.

However, there was a slight problem now, because he had unwittingly entered Steve's personal space. He wasn't sure Steve even _had_ a personal space, but Danny did and Steve was currently in it. What if Steve kissed him again? Standing this close was dangerous, so why the fuck wasn't he stepping back?

'You wanna...' Steve said, but Danny never found out what Steve wanted to offer him. Could have been a beer; could have been anything, really. Danny bridged the little distance that was left between them and pressed his chest against Steve's. Steve's breath hitched in his throat and left him unable to finish his sentence.

Danny kind of like the effect his proximity had on Steve. This tall and handsome man could barely speak when he was too close, because he was all choked up with desire.

This time Danny initiated the kiss and it felt much less crazy and wrong. It felt kind of perfect, actually. It felt as if he had been kissing men his entire life. Steve's hands pulled his shirt out of his trousers and slipped underneath. They fluttered over his chest; Danny trembled as the rough, calloused fingers grazed his skin.

After a seemingly endless time of breathless kissing, they broke apart briefly to pant against each other's cheeks. Soon Steve resumed kissing, but moved his mouth agonisingly slow to Danny's neck, while his warm hands caressed Danny's back. Danny kept taking short and shallow breaths as Steve licked his way up Danny's jaw.

'You're not going to leave again?' Steve whispered in his ear and - God help him - Danny thought his husky voice was impossibly sexy.

Danny moaned as Steve sucked at a particularly tender spot on his neck. He was definitely attracted to him. It wasn't just the voice. It was Steve. Steve was sex.

'No chance,' Danny breathed.


	3. How long has this been going on?

**Chapter ****3:** **How ****long ****has ****this ****been ****going ****on?**

A week later.

'What are we doing?' Danny asked. Steve grinned.

'We're having coffee.'

'Why are you grinning?' Danny insisted. Steve's grin broadened.

'Because you're having coffee with me.'

They were due at work in about an hour. They were in a Starbucks. They were having coffee. It was obvious what they were doing, but Danny couldn't shake a feeling of bewilderment. Was this... a date?

Steve had asked Danny to meet him before work and now they were having coffee. Technically, because they were colleagues, this could be interpreted as bonding or something. Like a sort of private exercise in team building without the physical exertion. Or just two guys hanging out. But it wasn't.

Of course, they were not only colleagues anymore, because things between them had been getting hot and heavy. So far not we-need-a-bed heavy yet, but pretty hands on. Danny was slowly trying to become accustomed to the reality of being attracted to another man. It wasn't something he had any experience with and he didn't know whether the fact that Steve did have that experience helped or hurt the situation. Yet, there must be some special reason Steve was grinning like that.

Vaguely, Danny remembered a prior conversation between Steve and himself. Steve had been his usual annoying self. Something about coffee and relationships. Frowning at the grinning man opposite him, Danny took a sip. As the exact words and meaning of their talk came back to him, Danny practically choked on his coffee.

Steve jumped up and slapped his back before Danny waved him away. He mumbled that he was fine, which was a lie. Concerned, Steve sat back down.

'Is this because of the thing I said about coffee?' Danny asked.

There was an innocent expression on Steve's face that didn't fool Danny for a second, but that he desperately wanted to believe. Danny focused on Steve's hands. They were wrapped around his cup. They looked worn and strong. They did all sorts of things to Danny's body that were amazing. Even just looking at them like Danny was doing now gave him a tingly feeling in his stomach that felt fucking fantastic.

'We talked about coffee? What did you say?' Steve inquired. Every relationship has started with a cup of coffee; that was what Danny had said. So, if Steve knew that, this _was_ a date. That in turn would mean that Steve thought that they were at the beginning of a relationship. Danny's frown deepened and he eyed Steve suspiciously. Realising that he had been asked a question, he thought up a quick reply.

'That it's a beverage,' he lamely attempted.

Now Steve was sporting aneurysm face and Danny could feel his own irritation grow.

'Well, it's not a relationship,' Steve snapped. They stared at each other for an uncomfortable moment, until Danny pretended to remember something he needed to do. He threw some bills on the table and fled.

Fuck, how could he not have seen this coming? Whenever they kissed it was always pretty clear that Steve wanted him. Danny wanted him too, though he now realised that they might want each other in different ways. Danny wanted to explore the physical aspect of this new and scary attraction, while Steve seemed to want something steady. Like an actual relationship. That was not what Danny was looking for.

(***)

Half an hour later.

'I'd tread carefully. He's brooding,' Chin warned as Danny entered their headquarters' main room. Lori - apparently intrigued by the idea of a brooding Steve - covertly tried to sneak a glance at the man, the myth, the idiot, but the blinds of his office were closed.

Reluctantly, Danny approached Steve's office and paused outside the door. With his hand on the door handle, he steeled himself before going in. Steve was staring hard at his desk. Not at any of the files on it or anything, but at the desk itself. He didn't look up, but grimaced when Danny closed the door.

'Hi.'

'Hi.'

'By now I should say aloha, shouldn't I?'

His partner shifted in his chair, considering the question. He looked at Danny. Balancing on the heels of his feet, Danny wobbled and Steve appeared to take pity on him.

'Depends; what are you trying to say?' he asked.

'Hi. And sorry,' Danny said. For some reason, Steve crossed his arms and blinked at that answer. Normal people blink, of course. It's like breathing; you hardly realise you are doing it. Nonetheless, Steve wasn't normal by any standards and Danny suspected that he blinked at that moment for some other reason than just to counteract the dryness of his eyes. It was an almost painful fluttering of his eyelids. Danny didn't quite know what to make of it.

'Aloha covers a lot of things, but not an apology,' Steve answered.

'Steve, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... you know. It's just that I'm not there yet,' Danny stammered. There was something about Steve, sitting there, gloomy but calm, that got him all tongue tied. Part of it was the tattoos peeking out from under his short sleeves and covering the surface of his upper arms. Another part of it was simply his arms. Rippling muscles. Tanned skin. Danny swallowed.

His partner got to his feet. With his right hand, he rubbed his neck. This afforded Danny a nice look at his biceps. Eventually, Steve shrugged.

'It doesn't have to be serious.'

Promptly, Danny turned round and locked the door. As if he didn't understand what Danny meant to do, Steve raised an eyebrow. However, there was a faint smile on his face that indicated he knew all too well what was going to happen.

'You're gonna reward me now?' Steve quipped. Within seconds, Danny had rounded the desk and was shoving the taller man towards it. Danny pushed Steve down onto the desk, which meant they were now of approximately the same height. Danny could tell that Steve was going to draw this out. Sometimes he'd be tender and slow, just to bug Danny.

Up until now, they had refrained from intimacies at work or while working and this wasn't really an ideal situation, but Danny completely forgot about Lori and Chin. Especially when Steve spread his legs. Eagerly, Danny moved into the open space and Steve drew him near. Soon the little office was filled with a lot of heavy breathing and hoarse murmurs.

Steve's hands were on the back of Danny's neck and in Danny's hair. Judging by the force Steve was exerting, Danny guessed that he was trying to bring their lips even closer together. Their mouths were already one, but Danny appreciated the hunger. His own hands were roaming around on Steve's back, making a mental map of every muscle.

They were both straining against their pants, but Danny certainly wasn't going to have his first time with a man on a desk, so he tried to pull away. Steve responded by sucking harder on his bottom lip. Despite how incredible that sensation was, Danny managed to extricate himself from Steve's grasp.

Trying to regulate his breathing, Danny slicked his hair back. Steve adjusted his shirt. Danny unlocked the door. They stayed in the office for another minute. Slowly, they stopped panting and their swollen lips returned to their normal state. To Danny's frustration, a certain problem in their pants took longer to disappear.

A perfunctory knock on the door startled them both. Steve smirked as he sat down behind the desk. Cursing, Danny quickly grabbed a file of the desk. When Chin entered, he used it to cover his obvious arousal.

'It's a matter of taste, I guess,' Chin said over his shoulder to Lori. She followed him in. Flushing, Danny was going for casual with the file, but he reckoned that he looked like a fool. Luckily, Steve's effect on him was fading.

'I don't know; I think it looked hot,' Lori responded. She leaned against the file cabinet. Steve was trying to mask his gleeful smile, assuming a pensive position with his hand in front of his mouth. Meanwhile, Chin and Lori were grinning too. Why the hell was everyone grinning today?

'What are you talking about?' Danny asked. Relieved, he deposited the unnecessary file on Steve's desk. He was fine now. Nothing to see. Chin deferred to Lori, who with a sweet voice uttered something that almost gave Danny a heart attack.

'Man-on-man action.'

Steve and Danny looked at each other, checking to see whether one of them had his hair mussed or maybe Danny's tie was askew. They detected no visible clues to their earlier activity. I'm losing it, Danny thought; either I heard it wrong or it has nothing to do with us.

'Yes, we caught some of it. Right through there, in fact,' Lori explained and she pointed. They followed the direction of her finger and arrived at a gap in the blinds. A gap caused by not lowering the blinds properly, which Steve had a tendency to do because he didn't have enough patience to learn how to do it the right way. A gap that Danny had somehow missed. Shit.

'You're a cute couple,' she added. Agitated, Danny coughed and curbed the urge to articulate his distress with a rant accompanied by wild gestures. Now it was out. The whole world was going to know. This was fucking perfect. The others were laughing and he managed to join in. His inner turmoil was disguised by a light chuckle.

Danny continued to quietly freak out, until Steve perceived his mounting panic and quickly interrupted the merriment. Expertly, Danny's partner segued into their new case. Sighing, Danny nodded at him. There were no words to express how grateful he was to Steve for changing the subject. He'd just have to reward Mr. Tall, dark and handsome in another manner.

(***)

Later that day.

'So, you don't care?'

'Brah, there are plenty of people out there who are not going to be okay with whatever you and Steve have got going, but I'm not one of them,' Chin assured Danny. That was good. Well, it was something at least. Chin paused for a second, staring at the suspect's driver's license up on the screen, before adding, 'I'm not so sure about Lori, though.'

Immediately, Danny's head snapped up.

'What? Why? She seemed fine with it.'

Chin glanced at him. His finger was hovering above the screen. He seemed to be thinking it over. Danny wanted to shake him.

'I think she's also interested in Steve,' Chin finally explained.

They really were in high school, weren't they? With the experimentation and the secrets and the crushes. Not that Danny had all that much experience with experimentation in high school. His brother had used to say that at twelve Danny already behaved like a cranky, middle aged Conservative. So, no experimentation for Danny then. He couldn't for the life of him remember what the fuck he had been doing instead, but he was definitely making up for his lack of exploration now.

Anyway, Lori and Steve would make sense. They were very similar. Unlike Steve and me, Danny thought; we're almost exact opposites. On the other hand, opposites attract and Lori would just have to suck it up.

'Tough shit,' Danny mumbled. He didn't see Chin's amused reaction, because Steve came in. Lori trailed after him. It looked an awful lot like she was checking him out. Danny narrowed his eyes at her.

'That's enough for today, I think,' Steve said. He was wearing cargo pants and a wide shirt, so there wasn't a whole lot of actual body to behold, but still.

Danny was going to have to postpone the reward, because Steve's sister Mary Ann was arriving today and staying for a week. That meant less time for further exploration.

Exploration of Steve's house; his supply of cargo pants was almost literally endless. Exploration of strange feelings; why did Danny forget other people's presence whenever Steve was around? Exploration of Steve's body; this was Danny's favourite kind of exploration.

As Steve walked out, Danny observed his walk. It was loose. Not New Jersey loose, which was exaggerated and used by street kids who thought it made them look cool. It was an effortless, relaxed walk, a bit on the reckless side and it was sexy as hell.

Maybe Danny was also looking at his ass. Hey, if the opportunity presents itself... Steve turned around and smirked. He made the universal 'eyes up here' gesture, which, come to think of it, probably also doubled as some scary Navy Seal signal.

'Remember, Danno. Last Saturday of the month: you, me, Grace and Kono. We're gonna teach you how to catch a wave. '

'Don't call me Danno.'

'Okay, _babe_.'

'Danno's fine.'


	4. Ain't that love

**Chapter 4: Ain't that love**

A week later. The last Saturday of the month.

In the morning, Danny was driving over to Rachel to pick up Grace. In the passenger seat, Steve was having fun thinking up double entendres and embarrassing Danny with them. Steve's words in Danny's ear about 'getting him wet' were hot, but Danny stifled his desire and pushed him away. His partner pretended to comply. However, it was only a matter of seconds before he leaned in again and licked Danny's earlobe.

'Oh God,' Danny breathed and Steve sat back with a satisfied smirk.

'I'm driving this car in case you hadn't noticed. How am I supposed to mind the road if you're constantly sticking your tongue down my ear? If I crash the car it will be your fault,' he ranted and pointed an accusing finger at Steve.

'Shut up with your stupid seductive voice,' Danny added, mumbling.

'I didn't quite catch that,' Steve said. Danny glared at his with all the contempt he could muster, which elicited a sexy chuckle from Steve. Pretty much everything Steve did and said was sexy to Danny.

That was exactly why they needed to talk; preferably before they picked up Grace. Danny thought he was doing okay with discovering that he was bisexual. It was late in life and surprising and a tad awkward, but he was easing into it. Steve was being patient and that helped a lot too. However, Danny had no idea how he was going to tell Grace. Should he even tell her? Was this one of those things that would scar her for life and lead to years of therapy? He had no fucking clue.

The one thing Danny did know was that before he had told Grace, Steve needed to cool it. No sexy voice. No sexual innuendos. And, most importantly, no public displays of affection. There couldn't be inappropriate touching or other shit that could possibly freak out Grace.

Unfortunately, Danny didn't know how to articulate any of this without rubbing Steve the wrong way. Several times he thought of an opening, but every time the phrasing seemed off or unclear. So, he said nothing and now they were at Rachel's. As the car rolled to a stop, Danny considered broaching the subject now, but Grace was already running towards the car.

'Have you got your sunglasses?' Rachel called out from the threshold. Quickly, Grace ran inside again and Rachel aimed a subdued wave their way. Steve waved back.

For the umpteenth time Danny felt the sting of 'what could have been' when he saw Rachel and Grace. A long time ago it had started out sharp, but over the past year it had faded to a bearable dullness. However, now regret was mingled with relief, because; what if 'what could have been' _had_ been? Rachel wouldn't have married Stan and she wouldn't have moved to Hawaii with Grace. Danny wouldn't have followed and he wouldn't have met the wonderful, crazy man who was sitting next to him right now. The idea was absurd.

So, and Danny never thought he would say this but, thank God for marital problems. Without realising it, he was staring at Steve and Steve responded by taking his hand.

'You can't do that,' Danny snapped. He yanked his hand away and saw that Rachel was no longer standing in the doorway. Relieved, Danny turned to Steve, who was frowning.

'Why not?' Steve asked, perplexed. Either Rachel or Grace could come out every second and Danny didn't want them to witness anything. Thus, he spoke without thinking.

'People will say we're in love.'

Steve leaned backwards, as if wanting to put some distance between them, while Danny wanted to kick himself. Why had he agreed to this relationship? This had never been going to end well.

'Well, aren't we? I am,' Steve replied. He crossed his arms. From the corner of his eye, Danny saw Rachel kissing Grace and Grace approaching the car. Silently pleading – though he didn't know for what – he turned to Steve.

'Ok, that's clear,' Steve muttered, nodding. Then he opened the door. Briefly, Danny thought that Steve was leaving, but he had merely gotten out of the car to help Grace with her bag. As if nothing had happened, Steve joked with Grace and Danny watched them warily. He pretended not to notice the numerous glances Steve threw his way.

As he drove to the beach, Danny realised that this was going to be a long day. Fortunately, Kono will be there, he thought. It was a stupid thought. Of course, when they arrived at the beach, his cell rang and it was Kono. Danny was inclined to leave it unanswered, but didn't.

'Danny, I'm really sorry, but I can't make it.'

She sounded distressed and Danny was about to ask her what was wrong, but, before he could, she hung up. As if he didn't have enough on his plate already with a pissed off Steve. He tried to plaster a smile on his face as he turned around and faced Steve and Grace.

'Looks like it's just the three of us.'

It sounded good. There was a little lilt towards the end. The 'us' sounded enthusiastic. Steve glared at him, but Grace was sold. Apparently, the prospect of having the two of them all to herself thrilled Danny's daughter to no end.

They rented surfboards and equipment and Danny thoroughly sun proofed Grace. When they were suited up, Steve instructed Grace, though she had already learned a bit about the sport from Kono. The first two hours, Danny tried valiantly to keep up with Steve and Grace. He considered it his fatherly duty, but what it amounted to was peddling behind them and yelling whenever a big wave came their way. This seemed to exasperate both of the others and soon they stopped half heartedly protesting when Danny suggested that he 'sit this one out.'

Exhausted, Danny walked swiftly across the hot sand and collapsed unto his towel. He had forgotten his own sunglasses, so he put on Grace's. They were pink and had green hippos on them. Danny didn't care. He was too tired to care and it was only noon. Sand was everywhere and the sunbeams almost felt like actual burning beams beating his body.

Looking through the mercifully dark glasses, Danny sought out Grace and Steve. Personally, Danny felt like alerting the coast guard whenever Grace fell off her board, but Steve was much calmer. He stayed close to Grace at all times and allowed her time to resurface on her own. Danny was too far away to hear what they were saying and the other beach guests were too loud, but he saw them laughing and getting back on their boards to continue to catch small, manageable waves. They both possessed a boundless energy that Danny could only envy.

After another hour, Grace started to show signs of fatigue too. Danny proposed a visit to Kamekona and a trip back to his apartment to take a shower. Everyone was in agreement, though Grace insisted she sit in front. Steve graciously sat in the back. The air in the car was so warm that it was almost solid and Danny put the cold air on full blast. Yet, while the temperature became more pleasant, the atmosphere in the car remained tense as ever.

Grace repeatedly nearly banged her head against the window as she was nodding off, so Danny suggested that she lean back against the head rest. Unwilling to succumb to sleep however, Grace decided that the best course of action was to talk to keep the drowsiness at bay. As a good father, Danny tried to assist, but it was clear that Grace thought he was hopelessly dull when he asked her about school. Still, she was a nice girl and a good daughter, so she answered without rolling her eyes. He was grateful for that, since her puberty would probably bring about all the eye rolling he could handle.

'Yesterday I learned about aloha,' Grace drowsily replied. She seemed to be drifting off again, but snapped back to attention and continued.

'It means my name, some other things and I love you. That's nice. Aloha Danno,' she mumbled and lolled to the side. With remarkable speed, Steve caught her head and steered it towards the head rest. Danny looked in the rear view mirror and Steve stared back at him. In excruciating detail, Danny remembered a conversation with Steve from a week ago.

'_By now I should say aloha, shouldn't I?'_

'_Depends; what are you trying to say?' _

Rattled, Danny broke eye contact and focused on the road. Was that what Steve had wanted him to mean? I love you? Steve had said that he was in love with him, but that was still a huge difference from loving someone. You could be in love with someone else every week; hell, every day. Love, on the other hand, _lasted_. You were only supposed to love a handful of people in your life and it pained Danny that Steve was wasting one of those precious times on him.

Kamekona's shack came into view and Danny parked the car. Gently, he woke Grace. They trailed behind her as she, revived, skipped to the big man and started to debate which flavour she was going to pick.

'About before...' Danny began, but Steve stopped him with an almost imperceptible touch on his arm. Steve's strong, callused fingers were on his skin and then they were gone.

'That's fine, Danny. Let's just call it quits. I don't want it when you obviously don't want it,' Steve asserted in a hushed voice. And just like that, Danny was off the hook. It should be a relief. It should be comforting to know that he no longer had to be so careful with what he said around Steve. It should be a lot of things. Instead, Danny didn't feel anything positive: he ached.

As Steve explained to Grace that he was going home so that she could spend some more time with Danny, Grace was disappointed. She attempted to persuade him to at least have some shaved ice, but he declined and set off. Danny watched his retreating back with regret.

Maybe it wasn't so much the idea of life without Steve that was absurd.

Maybe, no matter how strange Danny's newfound sexuality seemed to him, it was no longer absurd to be attracted to Steve.

Maybe, no matter how mindboggling it was, it wasn't absurd that Steve wanted him too and even loved him.

Maybe, no matter how much Danny wasn't looking for a serious relationship and wasn't ready for love... maybe it was _not_ loving Steve that was absurd.

(***)

Author's note: This is my first Hawaii Five-0 story. What do you think so far? Good? Bad? Should I continue? Review and tell me.


	5. In the heat of the night

**Chapter 5: In the heat of the night**

The weekend flew by. Every minute he spent with Grace felt like only a second; as it had since the divorce. It pained Danny that he had almost become a weekend dad; someone who took you to the beach, but who wasn't there for the small, important moments. This weekend was especially bad, because he kept thinking about Steve. Even with the little time he had with his daughter, he couldn't give her his undivided attention, which made him feel terribly guilty.

On Sunday night, after dropping Grace off at Rachel's, he went to Steve. He wasn't entirely sure of what he was going to say, but he needed to say something. He couldn't let it end like that. However, when Steve opened the door, he was as surprised as his partner at what came out of his mouth.

'I want to have a go at serious.'

He did. Steve was more than an experiment. He meant much more than that. It wasn't the physical attraction. Danny liked making Steve smile, making the other man laugh. He liked being with him, whether they were kissing or not. He liked the bickering. God, he'd grind his teeth to smithereens and wear a retainer if that was the price he had to pay for being with Steve.

'I know you're already in deeper than I am, but I want to try,' Danny repeated, more confidently, but Steve's only response was to snort derisively. He walked into the house, leaving Danny on the doorstep. After a beat, Danny followed and closed the door behind him. The living room was empty. As he looked for Steve, Danny felt himself starting to get mad.

Wasn't this what Steve wanted? Serious? A proper relationship out in the open for everyone to see. And now Danny offered it to him and the bastard was scowling all over the place and walking away from him in the middle of a conversation. No, not a conversation: a promise of commitment. Angry, he rounded on the taller man in the kitchen.

'Yeah, I want to try. Is there something wrong with that?' Danny snapped. With a bored expression on his face, Steve nonchalantly leaned against the kitchen table. There was the fluid, almost catlike body language that Danny found so attractive, but he pushed down the white heat of desire that seared his veins.

'What brought about the change? I'm curious,' Steve asked. He looked anything but curious. He looked summarily uninterested, unimpressed. Prematurely dismissive of whatever explanation Danny had to offer. And he does it to piss me off, Danny thought.

'What?' Danny muttered. Steve took an apple from the bowl on the table and took a bite out of it. Thoughtfully, he chewed, but his gaze never wavered from Danny. It made Danny nervous as hell.

'Yesterday I couldn't hold your hand for fear that someone might see and today you're ready to date? You do realise that if we date people might also mistakenly believe that we're in love, right? Just trying to figure out what has changed.'

Danny cast around for something to help him, but there was nothing there. Kitchen, table, apple, Steve. Watching Danny's movements, Steve kept munching on the apple. Finally, Danny landed upon a possible explanation.

'It was because of Grace...' he attempted.

'Bullshit.'

They glared at each other. Steve aggressively tore another piece off the apple with his teeth. Lust clawed at Danny's insides. Why did Steve have to make it so hard for him? Why, even in the midst of an argument, did Danny wish he was that apple? He swallowed as he imagined Steve's hungry lips on him.

'Can't you behave like a normal person for a second? Stop assaulting that apple,' Danny ordered.

'Stop looking at me like you want to fuck me. We both know you don't want to,' Steve retorted.

'I do.'

'You don't.'

'I do.'

'Holding hands is too much, but sex is fine; yeah right,' Steve scoffed. Incensed, Danny snatched what was left of the apple from his partner's hand and flung it across the kitchen. He was throwing with food. It was juvenile behaviour at best and made Danny feel ashamed of himself.

'Feeling better?' Steve asked, pretending to be concerned. His muscles were tense, like taut cables standing out under his skin.

'No,' Danny admitted as he approached Steve. He angled his face upwards to reach the taller man's lips. He could feel Steve relax into the kiss, but not quite. Danny's tongue licked Steve's soft gums and swirled around his tongue. Kissing Steve was still intoxicating. The quintessential McGarrett taste was mingled with the sweet flavour of the apple.

'I do want to... have sex with you,' Danny mumbled against Steve's lips. Steve froze. Slowly, he held Danny at a little distance in order to look at him. Danny's face shone with sincerity, but somehow that didn't seem enough for Steve.

Blinking rapidly, Steve stepped back. He brushed his hand across his mouth in a gesture intended to hurt Danny, to erase the evidence of their kiss.

'I know why you want to fuck me. Because it means I won't be fucking you and you can pretend it's with a woman. Someone else,' Steve sneered. His words proclaimed an utter disdain for Danny's problems with the newness and strangeness of his desires, which was unlike Steve. He had been patient and understanding all along. The only time when his patience is taxed is when it comes to my feelings, Danny thought. Feelings he couldn't have. Not because Steve was a man, but because Danny simply didn't want to have those feelings for anyone.

'Now that I've had time to think about it, I don't think we should try our hands at a relationship. We would drive each other crazy,' Steve suddenly said. Danny stared at him. The pigheaded idiot looked exactly like he'd do during work when Danny warned that he wasn't allowed to dangle suspects off of buildings. It was a tough and impregnable armour. Yet, Danny thought he had never seen Steve this vulnerable.

'Well, that's too fucking bad, because we're going to,' Danny answered. Steve raised an eyebrow and Danny cursed under his breath. It occurred to him that Steve must not realise how sexy he was. Oddly, while the vulnerability should reasonably freak Danny out, it only made Steve appear more attractive. More real, more human.

'Tell me you're in love with me,' Steve countered. A dozen things raced through Danny's mind as he heaved an immense sigh. Since he had met Steve, he had perfected the art of frustrated sighing. Wearily, he slicked his hair back. Sweat was running down his back. All the time he was intensely aware of Steve's eyes on him.

'I cannot be in love with you. You know why? I loved Rachel. And she's with Stan now, trying to make it work, but it still feels like yesterday that we were going to try it again. She was going to have my baby and we were going back to New Jersey. We were at the airport. I was at the airport. I was going,' Danny explained. He sighed again, while Steve listened attentively.

'This island... This fucking island. It won't let me leave. It's choking me with its rituals and the surfing and shaved ice tasting like shrimp. Everybody's a complete freak. There are conspiracies everywhere. My apartment is a dump. And the heat drives me insane,' he summed up, becoming increasingly agitated. He couldn't be in love with Steve because the heat was driving him insane?

It was coming out wrong. He hadn't gone back to New Jersey because he had needed to help Steve. He had _wanted_ to help Steve. The thing with Rachel would have fallen apart again sooner or later anyway. And the island was alright. He was getting used to it. It had Steve; that was one giant plus. So, why couldn't he be in love with Steve? Frustrated, he loosened his tie.

'Why do I insist on wearing a suit with tie? No one else does. Because I like to make my own life miserable. Pining after Rachel when she's clearly not interested and it's not going to work out. Wearing a suit in the hottest weather. I'm physically incapable of taking the easy way out. That's why I love you. A man. My partner. You. 'Cause I can't start something with a nice woman; no! I have to develop feelings for the most annoying man alive. Fuck, could this be any more inconvenient?'

A smile tugged at Steve's lips and broke through on his face. Danny tried to imagine how it must feel to encounter that smile in the mirror in the morning and to his surprise he discovered that he could. Or on the pillow next to him as he wakes up. Over breakfast. In the shower.

Lazily, Steve wrapped his arms around him and captured his mouth in a kiss.

'You can fuck me anytime,' he whispered and damn it if that didn't almost made Danny climax. They moved frantically against each other. Their clothes functioned as a barrier and provider of the necessary friction at the same time. Danny's shirt clung to his back and his hair kept falling across his forehead. With a warm hand, Steve brushed it back.

There was very little that Danny knew about sex with another man – though it had been on his mind pretty much nonstop lately – but he knew that it wasn't easy. Your first time should also probably not take place on a kitchen table, but the heat that was building inside him didn't care. Steve read his mind.

'In the drawer,' he mumbled as he traced circles with his tongue from Danny's neck to his shoulder. Panting, Danny broke away and thrust his hand into the drawer.

'Do you have sex in the kitchen on a regular basis?' he asked with a quizzical smile. It was dusk outside and the light in the kitchen wasn't on, so he was operating on touch. He felt the crispy plastic of condom wrappers. Feeling optimistic, he placed the entire strip on the counter. There were also hand cuffs in there. He made a mental note of that.

'Best to be prepared. There's also a hand grenade in there,' Steve shrugged as Danny's hand closed around a tube. He checked to see whether it was lube. It was and he put it on the counter too. It took a few seconds for the meaning of what Steve had said to get through. When it did, he yanked his hand out of the drawer.

'Kidding,' Steve hastily explained, before adding, 'It's just a flash bang.'

Just a flash bang. Clearly, he should be in a mental institution. He was insane. And Danny was insane for loving him. But love him he did.

'From now on I'm going to call you Crazy McGarrett. _Just_ so you know,' he joked.

'Crazy McGarrett,' Steve repeated. He pronounced each syllable carefully as if tasting the words. His lips formed them and closed around them. The consonants and vowels touched his tongue and his teeth. When he puts his mind to it he can even make talking sexy, Danny thought with amazement. Was there any mundane task that wasn't arousing if Steve did it?

'Crazy McGarrett; I like it,' Steve decided.

'Of course you do.'

Amused, they looked at each other. Danny licked his lips, which gave Steve a start. It felt nice. Beyond nice; to be desired that much by someone who was so attractive. Also, while it was scary, it was exhilarating to know that the current running between them wasn't based solely on chemistry.

Danny moved his lips down Steve's jaw. The other man trembled slightly under the caress. Electricity shot through their veins.

'Aloha, Danno,' Steve breathed. The words felt hot on his skin and seeped into his pores. Aloha: a word with numerous meanings, but Danny knew exactly what Steve meant.

'Aloha, crazy McGarrett. Let's do this properly. Take me to the bedroom.'

The end.


End file.
